Alternative Breaks
The Alternative Breaks program places teams of college or high school students in community service and experiential learning positions during their summer, fall, winter or spring breaks. Students perform short term projects for community agencies and learn about issues such as literacy, poverty, racism, hunger, homelessness and the environment. The objectives of an Alternative Break program are to involve college students in community-based service projects and to give students opportunities to learn about the problems faced by members of communities with whom they otherwise may have had little or no direct contact. Examples of trips students have participated in include working with the homeless in San Francisco, acting as student teachers at a bilingual primary school in Phoenix, and helping with sand dune restoration in California.
The objectives of the Alternative Break projects are to involve college students in community-based service experiences and expose students to the social problems faced by communities that they may rarely witness or contact. By traveling to a community outside of Missoula, a student's awareness of national social problems may be heightened.
Alternative Break trips take place twice throughout the school year, over Winter and Spring Break at UM. The Winter Break trips have the benefit of a short classroom course offered in conjunction with the trip. The course is a 395 level honors college course, but the tuition is extremely low. The Spring Break trips have an optional attached service learning seminar.
This year’s Alternative Winter Break will be heading to sunny Hollywood, CA to work with The DOOR Organization! Participants will be volunteering with homeless shelters around Hollywood to gain a unique perspective on extreme poverty in the middle of one of the wealthiest communities in the country. Associated with the trip is a 2 credit Wintersession class that prepares you to fully understand the work that you will be doing on the trip. The course runs from January 6-8, and then you take off for Hollywood from January 9-17. The cost of the trip will be under $500 and can be reduced if participants do any fundraising. The application is available at the Office for Civic Engagement and must be returned with a $20.00 deposit towards the trip expenses. We are holding an informational meeting on November 17th at 3:30 in DHC 118 for anyone who wants to find out more about the trip. There will be pizza at the meeting! Please contact Anna Semple if you have any questions - this will be an incredible experience that you don’t want to miss!
Contact:
Anna Semple
Office for Civic Engagement
Davidson Honors College 015
Phone: 243-5531
Email: anna.semple@umontana.edu
